Elizabeth Nygren CA USA
Dear Paolo, Anna and Francesco, We had a great time in Giardino del Belvedere. We loved the scenery, the artistic touch of your family. Every morning we woke up for a run and every morning from one hill to or another the horizon looked very different but one common denominator was a costant: the beauty of the landscape. In short a very relaxing with our friends and little children
Janet (Sherborn, MA USA) Dear Paolo, Anna and Francesco, We had a great time in Giardino del Belvedere. We just spent 3 weeks at this beautiful property, 10 of us ranging from 7 months to 86 years old. Everyone loved it, it was so peaceful and quiet, and exceeded our expectations. We made numerous day trips to nearby cities or just to explore the Tuscan countryside, but some days we just stayed "at home" and relaxed by the pool. We held a recommitment ceremony to celebrate a 30th wedding anniversary with family in the amphitheatre, followed by the most incredible dinner prepared by Maria. Her meals are exquisite, especially the handmade pasta. The whole celebration could not have been more perfect! The owners were tremendous hosts, they really made us feel welcome and at home, we enjoyed meeting them so much. We highly recommend La Selva, and hope to return.
Sisi (New York) We stayed in this villa (La Selva) two weeks between Oct 2 and 16, 2010. We were two mature couples and occupied only two of the many bedrooms in the villa. Based on the impressively prepared web site and brochures we had high expectations of our stay. Unfortunately our expectations were not met at all. Here are some points I will make for those considering staying at La Selva, which may help them understand what to expect. (1) The location is of the villa was accurately described in the promotional material and is very central to the Chianti area. We liked that. However, one has to drive through winding mountain roads get to some of the famous destinations like Siena, San Giminiano, Greve-in-Chianti etc. I personally loved driving on those twisty country roads but others may may not. You have to have an up-to-date GPS navigator to find directions. (2) When we arrive the villa itself was dirty and not well prepared. (3) Non of the appliances worked properly. The washing machine, the dishwasher, and the toaster were in desperate shape. The cook top was tricky to turn on - one has to be careful as to which burner is being tuned on. The oven took forever to reach the set temp. The kitchen and utensils were all dirty. (4) The photos cleverly disguised the villa's many shortcomings. (5) While the garden and the pool were in bad shape some might find their "rustic" condition appealing. (6) The shower drain was clogged. (7) The TV (an old 26 inch CRT) had only 10-12 Italian channels. (8) The fireplace was unusable; its chimney didn't sufficiently draw the smoke, which choked us all. (9) The Internet connection worked fine. (10) The owners were friendly but the housekeeper was totally useless. She cooked us a welcome dinner that turned out to be our least favorite meal during the three weeks we were in Italy. (11) The walks around the villa were fantastic. (12) The father of the family knew a lot about mushrooms and spent an hour with us showing and picking edible mushrooms, including a couple of porcinis, in the garden. The bottom line is this: We won't recommend La Selva to our friends. Unless they completely fix its many problems and replace the housekeeper (or maid or cook) with someone who is much better, we won't recommend it to anyone. I have written this review in good faith. We told the owners about our disappointments and made suggestions as to how to improve the conditions because we thought the building, location and the gardens have great potential.
Nancy (Frederick, Maryland) We - a group of 9 mature adults and one grandchild - just returned from two glorious weeks at La Selva, in late October, 2010. I am astonished at the negative previous review. Our experience was the EXACT OPPOSITE. Possibly these people rented a huge house for only 4 people and expected some kind of luxury hotel experience? La Selva isn't that. It is SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT! But 4 people would rattle around there. It is best for a larger group. The house is very spacious,and wonderfully-renovated. The owners retained the true flavor of Tuscany in every corner: terra cotta tiles, brick arches, arched-windows, indoor shutters (which provide total darkness for nice long sleeps), TWO spacious kitchens with old marble counters and large wood work-tables, etc. You have the feeling of what the original farm-house was like, but of course there are 6 modern, fully-tiled baths too. The bathrooms and kitchen were very clean, The furnishings are rustic,with the special, artistic touches of the very talented owner. Everywhere there are little still-lifes of the rural Tuscan life - sprays of dried herbs, old tools hung on the wall, old pots filled with flowers, an original painting, an old family memento, etc. Outdoors, there are sculptures in the garden and rustic furniture for sunny picnics. There is plenty of room to spread out, be alone, be in a group, etc. The beds were all very comfortable and the bedrooms large and airy. As the website explains, the house and its outbuildings are set in a fabulous botanical garden filled with paths. We took many woodland walks, including the hike up to adorable little Montegonzi, a hilltop village 2 km away. The privacy, peace, and beauty of the place are very special. The drive up to it is an adventure in itself. We loved the steep, winding roads of Chianti and found driving was not at all difficult; it was FUN! From La Selva, we went to Florence 3 times, to Siena, Volterra, Montepulciano, Assisi, Arezzo, Pienza, Cortona, and Rome. It has a perfect location in the Chianti Hills, and yet 12 minutes to Montevarchi's train station. The owners are a family of four amazing and wonderful people who helped us in every way possible. They made sure everything was fine, and when we called about little problems (we had 2 power outtages caused by the electric company) they were up there in a flash to check things out. So, we have NO complaints about La Selva, and will recommend it to all of our family and friends.
"Thank you for a wonderful week in Tuscany; we love
your hospitality Cioncolini family"
Ike Sagie ISRAEL
"Posto ameno e confortevolisimo, vissuto intensamente di giorno
......... e di notte"
Stefano Antonielli ITALY
"Il terzo millennio non poteva iniziare meglio anche grazie all'
ospitalità dei Cioncolini. Con i piedi bien piantati nella natura
della Toscana, che qui è così ben rispetata e difesa"
Francesco Ferrante ITALY
"Hic manebo optime"
Arnaldo Cipolli ITALY
"Bellisimo ! Thank you for a wonderful holiday in your home . It was
so special to be in Toscana ; arrivederci !!!"
Denise Harold ISRAEL
"Having sun we had fun when it rained we sustained. The life
was good guest in the mood. Lovers of toscana and of this house from
Finland"
Fred Bjorksen FINLAND
"A volte la differenza è fatta dai particolari ma nel caso della
SELVA l' unicità è data non solo dai particolari ma da tutta l' armonia
e la ricercatezza nel quale è inserita la villa; complimenti ai Cioncolini"
Marco, Roberto, Augusta ITALY
"Non sarà facile partire queste sera ..... Ripercorreremo i viali
che costeggiano il bosco con mille immagini e ricordi dentro al cuore.
Da domani ricominceremo la nostra vita, che si è interrotta tre giorni
fà, con una ricchezza in più. Sapendo a cosa potrebbe assomigliare
il giardino incantato. Torneremo presto"
Filippo, Rossella, Giusy, Tequila, Fabrizio, Marco ITALY
"Noi qui abbiamo visto il vostro piccolo paradiso"
Raffaella e Mino Ronzoni ITALY
"Paradise found! The youngest olive tree in the grove was planted
in honor of the engagement of our son"
Tomas Laurer WA USA
"Now for all of us to have found this lovely place and the wonderful
people associated with it"
